If your swimmer has started competing, you’ve probably heard the term “Licensed Meet.” You might even have seen codes like “Level 3 – LC” on a meet notice and wondered what it all means.

County Development is the first step on the County Pathway, where swimmers aged 9–14 learn to handle tougher sessions, race more often, and measure themselves against County standards.

Swim England and Aquatics GB encourage a balanced approach to competition.Young swimmers should experience a range of strokes and distances, including 400 m, 800 m and 1500 m freestyle, to build a strong foundation for future success in the sport. Early distance exposure isn’t about specialising — it develops complete swimmers with the fitness, pacing control and resilience needed to progress confidently through the sport.

If your child is in our Skills Academy, Competitive Development, or County Development Squads, you may have already come across Swim England Rankings. This is often the first moment swimming feels “official” — times appear online, filters sort results, and suddenly every swim has a number attached to it. 🏊‍♂️📲

Every Autumn, as the race calendar builds and we head towards Christmas, one question comes up again and again from parents: “How does County Qualification actually work?”